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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23351083">No Better Time Than the Present</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigStripe/pseuds/TigStripe'>TigStripe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Flash (TV 2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Mild Angst, Secret Relationship, Workplace Relationship, thallen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:48:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,713</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23351083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigStripe/pseuds/TigStripe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry and Eddie have been dating for months. Unfortunately, there's a No Fraternizing policy at CCPD and the secrecy is starting to wear on Barry. Eddie would do anything for him, but can they come up with a solution that works for everyone?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barry Allen/Eddie Thawne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>151</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The scene in the loft apartment looked straight out of a television show - two dead bodies, a discarded gun, and cops searching every inch of the place for more information. In the center, two figures stood comparatively still. One looked around somewhat nervously, while the other tapped his foot in impatience.</p><p>“Where the hell is Allen?” The foot-tapper asked. He crossed his arms and scowled.</p><p>The other man purposely put another foot between them. “I don’t know, Chief.”</p><p>Captain Singh sighed and shook his head. “Give him a call, Eddie.”</p><p>Eddie winced. <em> “What?” </em></p><p>“I know you have his number saved.”</p><p>“I...do, yes.”</p><p>“Call him. We needed him here before we even set foot on-site.”</p><p>Eddie sighed as he summoned his phone from his overcoat. <em> Show up, show up, show up- </em></p><p>“Captain Singh!” The voice was high and urgent, signaling Singh and Eddie to look behind them. Eddie hid a smile as Barry Allen waved at them as he attempted to step over the police line, then cringed as Barry nearly fell on his face from getting his rear foot caught on the exact same tape.</p><p>“I’m sorry I’m late,” Barry huffed, coming to a stop and taking a few deep breaths. “I couldn’t get a ride from the station, so I ran.”</p><p>Eddie raised an eyebrow, looking down at the soaked collar poking out of Barry’s vest. </p><p>Singh’s question carried the same confusion as Eddie felt. “You <em> ran? </em> Six miles from the station?”</p><p>Barry coughed and Eddie cleared his throat. “Y-Yeah. Well, I hitched a ride on the back of a dump truck for probably about a mile, but-”</p><p>“Barry used to run track you know,” Eddie interjected, causing Barry’s eyes to widen in panic. “Dude’s surprisingly fast, when he’s warmed up.” An exhausted smile contributed to the lie.</p><p>Singh raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Whatever. You’re cutting it close, Allen. Get a car.” He turned and headed off to speak with other scene investigators, leaving Barry and Eddie alone.</p><p>Once he was out of earshot, Eddie leaned in to Barry. “What was it this time?”</p><p>“A meta trying to wreck the water purification system downtown. They said it wasn’t ‘natural,’ whatever that means.”</p><p>Eddie chuckled. “My bath tonight thanks you in advance.”</p><p>Barry winked. “I think you mean <em> our </em>bath.”</p><p>The speed at which Eddie’s head whipped around to see if Singh could hear them impressed Barry. When he spoke, his voice was barely more than a hissed whisper. “Keep it down, will ya? You <em> know </em> the higher ups aren’t okay with fraternizing!”</p><p>“Calm down,” Barry said, his hands in his pockets. “You’re going to make people suspicious, being all paranoid like that.”</p><p>Eddie cleared his throat. That was true - natural was the way to go around a bunch of professional clue finders. “So, the scene. What do you make of it?”</p><p>Barry looked around for all of five seconds, taking in the scene surrounding them.</p><p>“Looks like your typical disturbance escalated to self-defense,” he said. “The way the bodies are lying, the marks on this one’s neck, the bullet holes in the wall back there,” he added with a jerk of his thumb, “I’d say it’s pretty cut and dry.” He walked over to the body with strangulation marks on its neck and bent down. “I’ll take some samples to make sure this gun wasn’t tampered with, just to rule out a murder-suicide.”</p><p>Eddie clicked his tongue and looked down at Barry with a mixture of amusement, amazement, and pride. “It’s still incredible how effortlessly you do that,” he said through a smile. He ducked down and whispered, “You didn’t use Flash Time, did you?”</p><p>Barry scoffed. “Detective Thawne, you wound me.” He looked around, then grinned. “Maybe a <em> little.” </em></p><p>The response was a single, great laugh. “You dirty cheater.”</p><p>“It’s only cheating if you get caught,” Barry countered, opening his CSI kit. “But hey, I gotta work.”</p><p>“Sure. And now that you’re here, I’ve gotta go meet up with Joe,” Eddie said, looking down at his watch. “Dinner tonight?”</p><p>“Sure, where?”</p><p>“I was thinking Luigi’s.”</p><p>Barry grimaced, issuing a chuckle from Eddie. “Joke. Minamoto’s?”</p><p>“Sounds good. But this time, just you and me, huh? I love Joe and Iris, but-”</p><p>“Barr.”</p><p>“It’s just that we haven’t had a night out in a while, and-”</p><p>“Barry.”</p><p>Barry sighed, hanging his head. “Yes?”</p><p>“You know the rules. We can’t let this get out, or we could get in trouble. All public outings need to be chaperoned to appear platonic.”</p><p>“Chaperoned by my family, who still don’t even realize what’s going on.”</p><p>“It’s not <em> that </em>weird, asking a coworker to dinner.”</p><p>Barry considered this. “It kind of is, actually.”</p><p>There was a silence there as Barry pretended to look over the body in front of him. Eddie’s shoulders slumped a little as he looked down at his lover’s downtrodden face. Eddie hated it when Barry pouted - he rarely could say no to that. He held his head back, coming to an executive decision.</p><p>“Fine. We can give it a try, if it’s that big a deal to you.”</p><p>Barry’s eyes lit up. “Yeah? Really?”</p><p>Eddie gave a little shrug. “We do kind of deserve to have a night to ourselves.”</p><p>The grin he received in response sent a little flutter through his chest. “Thanks, Eddie.”</p><p>With a smile of his own, the detective bent forward a little and lowered his voice. “Love you.”</p><p>Barry grinned up at him and mouthed, “Love you, too” before returning to his work as Eddie turned on his heel and practically marched off, head high and a smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Minamoto’s wasn’t a particularly busy restaurant during the week, which suited Eddie just fine. He didn’t really care for the big, bustling diners or chain restaurants. He needed his elbow room - a place to lean back and enjoy the moment with his company.</p><p>And his company was great tonight.</p><p>Considering they were only two of four people at the table requesting food, Barry’s order left the hibachi chef speechless. The chef did seem to enjoy cooking for so many dishes, though, and he put on quite the show for the meager group. Barry watched with a grin on his face and Eddie’s arm draped across the back of his chair, while Eddie was watching the chef a little less, and Barry a little more.</p><p>As the chef departed the table after serving Barry’s rather extensive selection of meals, the table grew quiet with everyone eating. The other couple, an elder man and woman across the hibachi from the two men, were quite pleasant, resorting to small talk for most of the meal.</p><p>Eddie watched as Barry put a fork to his mouth, but some rice spilled over the side and fell onto the floor. “Babe, watch it,” he said. “Rice doesn’t sweep up well.”</p><p>“Forry,” Barry muttered with a full mouth. The elderly couple watched with renewed interest as Barry gulped it down.</p><p>“Excuse me,” the woman said, motioning for their attention. “I’m sorry, but are you two a couple?” Her voice was light and pleasing, and she was smiling as she spoke.</p><p>Eddie cleared his throat and removed his arm from the back of Barry’s chair, but Barry nodded. “Yes, ma’am, we are.”</p><p>She put a hand to her heart and let out what sounded like a reminiscent sigh. “I had a girlfriend when I was in college. Times were very different back then.” She waved Barry on to continue his meal. “You two are such handsome men, it doesn’t surprise me that you’d find one another.”</p><p>Heat flooded Barry’s cheeks, but Eddie’s response was to laugh. “Thank you, ma’am, that means a lot to us.” After looking around for familiar faces, he leaned over and gave Barry a quick kiss on the cheek, which only forced more heat into his face.</p><p>The four of them grew more friendly as the meal proceeded. Now they knew the couple’s names - Gladys and Burt - who were, as it would turn out, not from Central City at all. In fact, they were from Canada, visiting for their granddaughter’s college graduation. When Barry asked what she studied, their answer gave both of them a start.</p><p>“She studied criminology,” Burt replied, his chest swelling with pride. “She wants to protect people and join a police force.”</p><p>“Wow, that’s very impressive,” Barry said. “You know-”</p><p>Eddie’s eyes widened and he leaned over. “Psst. No.”</p><p>Barry didn’t seem to hear him. “-we both work-”</p><p>“Barry, no.”</p><p>“-at CCPD.”</p><p>There was a clap of excitement from across the table as Eddie put his head in his hands. “That’s wonderful! I believe our Amy applied for an internship there,” Gladys said. “Maybe you’ll see her one day!”</p><p>Barry’s smile was as wide as it could be. “I’d love to meet her and show her the ropes.”</p><p>Eddie’s face was obscured by his hands, but his voice was clear. “She’d be in good hands, babe.”</p><p>The rest of dinner went swimmingly, as Gladys and Burt were quite friendly and loved hearing about the police department. Barry even sprinkled in some talk about working alongside the Flash - much to Eddie’s paranoia - which went over about as well as one could imagine. They were quite impressed.</p><p>At long last, dinner was over, and the two couples went their separate ways. As Eddie held the door open for Barry, he whispered, “You just can’t help but make friends everywhere you go, can you?”</p><p>“Is that a crime, officer?” Barry replied. “Those two were great.”</p><p>“Yep. And now they know we’re dating. And work at CCPD. Together.”</p><p>They made it to the car in silence, but as Barry opened his door, he looked across the roof at Eddie. “I’m tired of hiding this.”</p><p>Eddie paused, nodding. “I know. We’ll try to figure something out. Promise.”</p><p>Barry didn’t feel very confident about that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Three days passed, each one as unremarkable as the previous one. The Flash took down an escaped metahuman threat, Eddie successfully thwarted a drug trade, and dinner was once again secretly held at Eddie’s place each night. Barry couldn’t complain - Eddie’s cooking was more than good, and spending nights there was enjoyable, to say the least.</p><p>The fourth morning following their Minamoto’s dinner was bright and clear, a great day for Eddie’s early jog. Barry slipped out of bed early and set himself to making a pre-workout smoothie. It was the downfall of Eddie’s regimen: he often overslept and left out the nutrition side of his workouts. Over the past few weeks, Barry had taken it upon himself to help supplement his man’s efforts.</p><p>As he finished pouring the smoothie, Barry heard the soft pats of foot falls on the floor behind him. Strong hands found his hips, and the solid form of Eddie’s torso pressed up against him, his chin resting up against Barry’s neck. A couple of kisses to his neck sent chills down Barry’s spine, issuing some pleased hums that escalated into a soft laugh.</p><p>“Good morning, gorgeous,” Eddie said as he continued to kiss Barry’s neck.</p><p>“You, too,” Barry chuckled. He held up the smoothie over his shoulder, which Eddie ignored for a moment before taking with appreciation.</p><p>“Beautiful morning, delicious breakfast, great company,” Eddie whispered, nuzzling Barry’s neck, “what did I do to deserve all this?”</p><p>“It must have been all those long glances and, you know, asking me out.” They both laughed. “Sorry. I’m just not good with the sweet talk.”</p><p>“Everything you say is perfect.”</p><p>“Liar.”</p><p>“It’s only a lie if it isn’t the truth.”</p><p>“Well, in that case,” Barry said, taking a deep breath, “I think it’s time we told Iris and Joe.”</p><p>Eddie’s sigh was louder than intended as he slid off of Barry’s shoulder. “Babe. We’ve talked about this.”</p><p>“Eddie, we’ve been dating for <em> months. </em> If Joe doesn’t know already, I’ll eat my suit. And every day I have to lie to Iris about us, I die a little inside.”</p><p>“I’m sorry. I know it’s been tough.” Eddie led Barry by his hand to the kitchen table and sat him down. “Tell me what’s on your mind. I’ll mull it over on my run.”</p><p>Barry squeezed Eddie’s hand. “I’ve spent every night this week at your place, and almost every night for the past month. I think…”</p><p>“It’s time, isn’t it?”</p><p>He nodded. “I think so.”</p><p>Eddie sat down and looked Barry in the eye. There was no sign of sarcasm. No uncertainty. Barry swallowed hard.</p><p>“I love you, Barry Allen. Whenever I wake up next to you, I get to look you in your beautiful face and the world feels right. I hate not waking up next to you. I want it to be the new norm. I want you to move in with me.”</p><p>Hearing the words out loud lit a fire in the pit of Barry’s stomach. Tears lined his eyes. It was the next logical step. He’d known this moment would happen eventually, but-</p><p>His own words were just as resolute as Eddie’s gaze. “Only if we tell Joe and Iris.”</p><p>Eddie closed his eyes, taking stock of his own thoughts. He nodded. “Deal. We will take some time to figure out the right way to do it, and I’ll do whatever you want.”</p><p>As Eddie stood up, he leaned forward and kissed Barry on the forehead. “I’ve got to get in my run. It’ll help me think.”</p><p>“Okay. Oh, and Eddie?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I love you, too.”</p><p>Eddie simply smiled.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eddie showed up at the precinct separate from Barry, as per their usual methods. For some reason, he felt his heart hammering in his chest. He said his hellos as he made his way to his desk, but with each step, he became more nervous.</p><p>At long last, he stood behind his desk, just opposite to Joe’s. Joe himself sat looking at a newspaper, coffee steaming to the side.</p><p>“Morning, partner,” Joe said, not really paying him any attention.</p><p>Eddie gulped. “Uh, m-morning.”</p><p>He practically felt Joe’s eyes swivel up to look at him. “You okay?”</p><p>“Y-yeah! I’m fine.” Eddie sat down, a little too fast, and started opening drawers as if looking for something.</p><p><em> Just look normal. Stop looking at me. </em> He glanced up at Joe, who still had his eyes trained on him. <em> Shit. </em></p><p>“Eddie.”</p><p>He cleared his throat. “Joe?”</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>A nervous laugh. “Nothing’s wrong! I promise.”</p><p>Joe glanced down. “Why are you sweating?”</p><p>“What?” Eddie made a noise of disbelief. “I’m not...uh...I’m fine.”</p><p>Joe leaned on his desk. Eddie knew what was coming, and no amount of mental preparation could protect him.</p><p>
  <em> The Dad Look. </em>
</p><p>Eddie cringed. Sometimes it <em> really </em> sucked having a partner practically old enough to be your dad.</p><p>“Eddie.”</p><p>Eddie took a deep breath. “I, uh, I am really okay. I’m just nervous. I…” He cleared his throat again. Man, why didn’t that seem to do anything? “I’ll talk, but not right now. It’s not quite the right time.”</p><p>Joe didn’t say anything. Instead, his eyes just kept boring into Eddie’s face.</p><p>“Morning!” The sound of Barry’s voice pierced the tension, sending a jolt of electricity up Eddie’s spine.</p><p>Joe looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Barr!”</p><p>“Mornin’,” Eddie muttered. He gave Barry an apologetic look.</p><p>Barry looked between the two of them, brow furrowed. “Did I interrupt something?”</p><p>Joe’s smile evaporated. “I’m not sure,” he said, giving Eddie a suspicious side-eye. “Did he?”</p><p>“He most certainly did not,” Eddie coughed out. There was a pause. “Oh! Hey. Lunch. Let’s all do lunch today.”</p><p>“Sure, if Barry can get away from that double homicide,” Joe said with a shrug.</p><p>“Well, let me get to work and I will get you an answer on that,” Barry offered. “See you later.” He waved to both of them as he turned, lingering probably half a second too long while looking at Eddie. Soon, he was gone.</p><p>“So. Lunch,” Eddie said.</p><p>Joe stared him down once again. “Lunch.”</p><p>Lunch came too soon, as Eddie had not yet figured out how he was going to break the news to Joe. They met in the lobby, Eddie still putting on his jacket, when the elevator dinged open to reveal Barry grinning ear to ear with a young woman in thick glasses and what looked like a handmade lab coat.</p><p>“Eddie! Look,” Barry said, motioning to the girl.</p><p>Eddie simply raised an eyebrow. “Who am I looking at, Barry?” Joe also looked confused.</p><p>“This is Amy Lynn,” Barry said. “She’s Gladys and Burt’s granddaughter! I met her in the lab this morning, and I’ve been showing her around. I thought she could come to lunch with us.”</p><p>Ice clasped Eddie’s heart. A lump shoved its way into his throat. He could already feel the sweat dripping down his back.</p><p>Amy Lynn looked from Barry to Eddie and back. “Oh, is this your boyfriend?”</p><p>Barry smiled in response, but it immediately disappeared as Eddie’s wide eyes and agape mouth caught his eye.</p><p>A heavy hand slammed down on Eddie’s shoulder. Joe’s fingers dug into him.</p><p>“His <em> what?” </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I knew he knew.” Barry took a big swig of the glass of water in front of him. He looked at Eddie with bright eyes. “I told you he knew.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drive to The Sandwich Shoppe had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>awkward,</span>
  </em>
  <span> to say the least. With a heavy heart, Barry had to dismiss Amy Lynn - this lunch wasn’t going to be a fun one - and fell silent in the back seat. Eddie had been, quite frankly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>afraid</span>
  </em>
  <span> to say anything. Joe’s reticence had not helped the atmosphere. Once they’d ordered, Joe broke the ice with, “You do realize I’ve known for about two months, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie almost choked on his soda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard not to know,” Joe muttered. “You two undress each other with your eyes every time you’re in the same room. And it only got more obvious with time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s cheeks reddened. Barry’s own heated, as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does anyone at the precinct know?” The question was simple, but the answer would complicate - or even devastate - their situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe tilted his head, thinking. “I think some of the beat cops have noticed it from you two being on-site together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie slumped in his chair, his hands over his eyes. “Great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> surrounded by sleuths at all times of the day,” Barry said with a shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you not more upset by this,” Eddie asked, suddenly irritated. “They could force us to stop dating, or have us move precincts!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry took another sip of water and smiled. “They won’t make us stop dating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They could move one of us to another district,” Eddie said, his voice rising. There was panic in his eyes. As much as it worried Barry to see him like this, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>still really cute when he got upset. “They could split us up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ll volunteer to move districts,” Barry said. “It’s not like it takes me very long to get anywhere in Central City.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie huffed. “It’s not about how being relocated won’t affect you, Barry, it’s about how we won’t be working together anymore. No offense to the CCPD, but being able to see you at work is the brightest part of my job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe made a sickened noise. “You two have it bad, don’t you?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s shoulders slumped, defeated. He gave Barry that same apologetic glance from this morning. Barry shrugged. It was up to Eddie, now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, Joe,” Eddie said, edging his eyes up to meet his partner’s, “I’ve asked Barry to move in with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he was surprised, Joe didn’t let on. “The kid lives with me. You really think I didn’t notice he was staying away for </span>
  <em>
    <span>weeks</span>
  </em>
  <span> at a time? I put two and two together.” He leaned on his elbows, giving Barry a hard stare. “The thing I don’t get? How is it that you two thought you couldn’t come to me about this? Did you really think I’d choose that archaic office rule over my own son’s happiness?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Welp. There it was. An arrow stuck out of Barry’s heart, and soon his whole chest ached. Of course Joe would have supported him. Hiding it from Joe had been a misstep for them from the start. “I...I’m sorry, Joe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the sag in his face, Eddie felt the same. “Me, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe sighed and leaned back. “Listen. I’ll talk to Singh. This can’t be a secret anymore. Maybe I can convince him to look the other way. Or change the rule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think he’ll listen?” Barry asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No idea. But it’s better than having one of you ‘relocated,’ which, by the way, is </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> more serious than you think, Barry. You’d be an outsider to the central precinct. All privileges, revoked. And do you honestly think you’d be able to get away with half the things you do as the Flash in a branch where Eddie and I aren’t able to cover for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oof. Barry hadn’t considered that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their food arrived, interrupting their discussion as Barry set in on the four sandwiches he’d ordered. The topic moved to more pleasant things until they’d finished. After all, no one liked indigestion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they left, Barry asked, “So, about Singh: you’ll tell him we didn’t mean for it to get this far before we told him, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. “That’d be a lie, Barry. We had no intention of telling Singh because of that stupid rule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe’s eyebrows raised at this. “You were really going to try to </span>
  <em>
    <span>live together</span>
  </em>
  <span> in secret? You’re crazier than I thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we’re crazy together,” Barry replied with a wink. Joe did not seem impressed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next up was Iris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shortly after finishing their shifts, Barry and Eddie made their way to the West household, their stomachs weighed down by the secret they’d blown out of proportion. Barry wasn’t concerned that Iris would be upset they were dating, but he was wary of her wrath for not telling her sooner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they entered the house, they were assaulted by greetings from Iris and Cecile, who had already collected on the couch to watch some television. A spiced, meaty scent could be noted - Cecile’s chili was probably simmering in the kitchen. Barry’s stomach rumbled in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was that the Bottomless Pit I heard?” Cecile asked without looking back. “Don’t worry, Barry, I’ve got enough stuff for about four dozen chili dogs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what are you guys gonna eat?” Eddie asked with a laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cecile, I’m glad you’re here,” Barry said as he plopped down into the chair at the end of the couch. “I have a question for you. A legal one, I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cecile muted the TV and repositioned herself to face him. “Sure thing, Barr, what’s up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fraternization in the workplace,” Barry said, his face not betraying a thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She considered this. “Hm. That’s a toughie. “It can be difficult to enforce, and punishments vary from company to company.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about in a local governmental capacity?” Barry asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cecile raised an eyebrow. “You mean like CCPD?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iris almost snorted. “Oh, Barry. You’re not-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, yeah, CCPD.” He didn’t let himself lock eyes with Iris. “How bad is it, really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cecile took a deep breath, thinking. “Well...if you’re involved with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>superior, </span>
  </em>
  <span>specifically someone overseeing your department, it’s a reportable infraction. One of you would be relocated, if not fired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry tilted his head. “So, what if they’re from two different departments?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked concerned. “What’s this all about, Barry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She subconsciously shrugged as she shook her head. “I don’t know, for sure, I don’t really think there’s much to report? As long as it’s not a supervisor-subordinate situation, I think it’s fine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry leaned back in his seat, letting his head fall back onto the chair in a big sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Cecile answered your questions, now you answer ours,” Iris said, her voice stern. “Is this you asking for a friend, or are you involved with someone at CCPD?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can answer that one,” Eddie said. He moved to sit on one of the arms of Barry’s armchair. He put a hand on Barry’s shoulder, looked at Iris, and shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iris’s eyes darted back and forth between Eddie’s face, Barry’s face, and the hand placed so gently on Barry’s shoulder. “Wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry smiled, but it was not a confident one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, hold on. Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That explains a lot,” Cecile said with a chuckle. “You guys are in different departments, but technically Eddie does outrank you, Barry, so I can’t give you a solid answer. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Iris wasn’t quite done. “No, wait, Cecile. I-” Her eyes narrowed as the gears worked. “How did I not see this happening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t want you to see it happening,” Eddie said. “We tried to hide it for work’s sake. Which didn’t work, by the way, because your dad is kind of amazing at his job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course Dad knew. He spends more time with either of you during the day than I do. And Eddie hasn’t been over here in forever. But </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t I know this? Barry?” Her brow furrowed in what could only be described as hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Iris.” Barry leaned forward and sighed. “I was scared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy you’ve found someone, believe me, but I’m more than a little hurt that you thought I’d blab to my dad about it. If you’d told me to keep it a secret-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hung his head. “I know. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The point is that we’re telling you now,” Eddie said, his hand moving to Barry’s back. “I’ve asked Barry to move in with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cecile clapped her hands and suppressed a squeal, while Iris gave a sad smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Barry told me he’d only do it if we cleared the air with you and Joe. I think he wants me to have your blessing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iris stood up and moved over to kneel right in front of Barry. “Of course you have it.” He put her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight. “I love you, Barry, no matter what. I want you to be happy.” When she pulled away, she gave him a teary smile. “Maybe I can be a little more in the know when the next step comes along?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie coughed, redness creeping into his cheeks. Barry smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, Barry hummed to himself as he lay in bed, hands behind his head and smile across his face. Eddie was bustling around the room, getting ready to join him, when he stopped and looked over at Barry with amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone’s happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry’s smile evolved into a full-blown grin. “Why shouldn’t I be? Today went better than I thought it could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We still haven’t heard back from Joe about Singh,” Eddie reminded him as he threw back the covers and hopped into bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a slight grimace in response to this. “Way to kill the mood, babe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie slid down until he was flat on his back, then turned onto his side. He kissed Barry on the elbow, then the upper arm, then the shoulder. Barry laughed, dropping his arms around Eddie’s shoulders as his form slid around and on top of Barry’s. The kissing continued for a moment, until Barry tapped him on the neck a few times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, wait, wait. I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> down for where this is going-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can tell,” Eddie chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I think we should talk about what happened today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie leaned down and gave a long nibble on Barry’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nibble turned into a long kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a defeated sigh and fell onto his back beside Barry. “Fine. You’re right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A stark silence permeated the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, uh, what did you wanna say about it?” Eddie asked into the void.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I…” Barry took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Eddie turned to him, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. “For what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amy Lynn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way Barry spoke her name put a bad taste in Eddie’s mouth. “What about her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She heard about us from her grandparents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And she’s the one who let it slip in front of Joe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s confusion melted away to suspicion. “Uh huh. But it’s not like you told her to say something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barry, no. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry cringed. “I didn’t mean for her to say anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>right there.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I wanted her to mention it while we were away from the office-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sat up, laughing. “You complete </span>
  <em>
    <span>ass. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I was terrified for my life today!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, when we said we’d figure out a way to tell Joe and Iris, I didn’t exactly plan on </span>
  <em>
    <span>the very next day. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You looked pretty ready to blab it, yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. He bent back down and gave Barry a kiss on the forehead. “Shit happens, I guess. At least it got the conversation started. Maybe a little warning next time?” He chuckled into Barry’s hair. “I thought Joe was going to deck me right there in the lobby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry’s laugh lit up the room. “His face was almost purple. He was so mad we’d bring it up in the office.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They leaned into one another while their laughter filled the air. It was true that the day had been quite stressful, but now that it was just the two of them, alone at home, together, it never felt quite so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Barry could get used to this feeling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time, Eddie and Barry arrived at work together the next morning. As they exited the elevator, Barry squeezed Eddie’s hand in his as they made their way to Eddie’s desk. They could feel eyes on them following their conjoined forms in a variety of emotions ranging from “surprised” to “I told you so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Eddie put his bag on his desk, the Captain’s door swung open and the stocky, short stature of Captain Singh appeared in the doorframe. He stood with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thawne. Allen. In my office, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The last word had such subtle force behind it that Barry was sure he’d just aged on the spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Singh closed the door behind them as they stood before his desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry and Eddie did as they were told. There was one last squeeze of assurance before they released one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Singh returned to the big chair on the far side of the desk, he sighed. “Gentlemen. We have a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them said a word, instead choosing to stare at their superior officer in a quiet defiance. If Singh noticed, he said nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you know, there is a No Fraternizing policy here for the CCPD.” The Captain steepled his fingers as he surveyed the faces of his charges. “I’m afraid I have to be the one to tell you that you’ve broken it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Barry couldn’t take their silence. “We’re not even in the same department-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry fell silent instantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Singh continued. “Now, I like both of you, and I want you both to be happy </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> contribute to our force to the best of your ability. But what I want and what you want aren’t in question here. The Force has established protocols for these kinds of situations, and breaking them is an issue for all of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a break in the conversation as Singh evaluated them in turn. Eddie took the opportunity to speak up. “So, is there anything we can do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As it stands, no. Thawne is in a position within the Force that he’s considered a direct supervisor over all field departments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s posture faltered, sinking slightly into his chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Singh ran a hand over his face in exasperation. “That’s why I’m going to make a bid to have the protocol altered, if not removed entirely. I’ve already called DA Horton to set up the appropriate paperwork.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rock in Barry’s stomach melted into butterflies. He was sure he just misheard that. “Wait, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll admit that there aren’t a lot of instances of fraternizing in the CCPD, especially ones with your supervisor problem. It’s predominantly a male career, so couples don’t happen too often.” Singh leaned forward, locking eyes with each of them in turn. There was the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. “Because there’s less women making their way up the ladder, the opportunity for heterosexual couples within the workforce is far more available, despite the overwhelming gender discrepancy. I think it’s time to do away with that imbalance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie coughed out a laugh, his eyes wide. “You’re going to rewrite CCPD protocol because we’re gay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry snapped a finger at him. “Hey. Bi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not the point,” Eddie said, not taking his eyes off the Captain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Singh rolled his eyes, but the smile betrayed his seeming annoyance. “Of course not. But your situation has brought a situation to my attention that should be rectified </span>
  <em>
    <span>because</span>
  </em>
  <span> your situation isn’t heterosexual.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile crept onto Barry’s face as a fire filled his chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Captain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Singh nodded. “Now that we’ve settled that, you’ve got to hold back until we get things changed. You’re still technically breaking protocol until we figure out how to revoke the rule. No flaunting the fabulousness, got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie couldn’t ‘flaunt the fabulousness’ if he tried,” Barry laughed. “You’ve got our word, Captain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie scoffed. “I resent that, but I agree with the sentiment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Singh checked his windows. “The blinds are closed. If you wanna say some fitful goodbyes for the moment, I won’t tell.” He cocked a smile and turned away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry was surprised at the speed at which Eddie moved, grabbing him by the sides of the face and planting a hard kiss on his lips, their noses smashing together. Barry pushed into it himself, the energy of hope filling his body and uplifting his spirits. Singh, Joe, and Iris were all on their side, and Cecile would undoubtedly do whatever she could for them. As they lingered there, connected via their lips, all the anxiety melted away. All that was left was bliss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It may have taken them some time, but it was finally the right time to be them.</span>
</p>
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